Evil Sky
by Long Island
Summary: My take on the second season opener.
1. Losing Sky

EVIL SKY

Disclaimer: I have and make no claim on any Mighty Med copyright. Non- Mighty Med characters and settings are my own.

Note: This story consists of four chapters.

"There's a storm coming, Skyler Storm." The fury in her words horrified Oliver. What monstorous thoughts were in her head, he thought. She has powers to do almost anything. I may die here.

"What are you planning to do?" he asked.

"Whatever I want. Whatever the Annihilator wants me to do."

Experion ran into the room, followed by the Annihilator. "A squad of Mighty Military just entered the hospital, we need to leave!" Experion said.

"Let's move," the Annihilator ordered. "Storm, get us out of here." She opened a space portal and Experion jumped through it, the Annihilator following. Skyler turned to Oliver.

"Meet me tomorrow at the west entrance to school ten minutes before homeroom. Come alone. If you don't, I'll destroy the school and everyone in it." She flew through the portal, which closed behind her.

"Oliver, what are you going to do?" Kaz asked. Six men in armored uniforms, carrying laser rifles, rushed into the room, followed by Horace.

"Room's clear," the lead man reported.

"Boys," Horace asked, "where'd they go?"

"Skyler created a space portal, they went through it." Kaz answered.

"We need to figure out what they plan to do," Horace said to the man who's uniform bore different insignia than the others.

"No," said Kaz. "We have a bigger problem. Skyler wants Oliver to meet her alone tomorrow morning, or she'll destroy the school and everyone inside."

"Is this true?" Horace asked Oliver, who nodded. Turning to the soldier he had spoken to, he said "Captain, how do we handle this?" The captain, who apparently was in charge of the military group, walked to Oliver, studying the nervous boy.

"That depends on Oliver. What do you think, kid?"

"I-I think I should meet her. If I don't, she'll do what she said. There really isn't any choice."

"Oliver, she could make you explode," Kaz warned.

"That's true," Horace said. "But I think a professional opinion is called for. Oliver, this is Captain Galahad, of Mighty Military. Captain, what do you think Oliver should do?"

"It would be best if you met her," he said, speaking directly to the boy. "It is a grave risk to run, but if you could establish a continuing conversation with her, we might glean knowledge of their plans, and any internal issues we can exploit. This is a great deal to ask, do you feel able to do this?"

"I have to. I'm responsible for Skyler getting back her powers. The Annihilator somehow managed to infect them tonight. I can't let her do anything so bad she won't forgive herself when we cure her. Whatever he did couldn't have been well thought out, he had only seconds to do it. We can undo it. I'll meet her tomorrow and try to make that a regular thing." Oliver and Kaz were allowed to leave, and went home.

"I must say I can't be as sure as Oliver about our chances to cure Skyler," Horace said.

"It doesn't matter. That isn't a risk we can accept. If the boy can't establish a pipeline into the group tomorrow, she will have to be terminated. My squad will set up a perimeter around the school to observe the meeting and take action, if necessary. I'll leave you to clean up."

. . . . .

The portal closed behind her. They were in an open space laid out as four baseball fields. Skyler recalled having been here some weeks ago, there was music, and laughter. In a wave of anger, she mentally crushed the memories of happiness with normos. "I know this place," the Annihilator said. "I have a small lair here. That way." He pointed the direction and they walked to a small brick building, a public toilet. Entering, he tapped out a pattern on the grey tiled wall and a panel opened, revealing an elevator car. They entered and it travelled down, opening to a darkened room. Lights turned on as they stepped out. Skyler noticed Experion looking her over.

"You know, Sky, now that we're working together, maybe we should spend some time together."

"Stop talking. Also, stop thinking. You were bested by two normos who put hardly any effort into it. As if I would have anything to do with you."

The Annihilator welcomed the discord between his new henchmen, chaos his overarching goal, but there was work to be done. "Experion, we need food. Go and get some." The turncoat hero rushed to obey. "Storm, come here."

"I'm yours to command. How may I serve you?"

"The normos at Mighty Med. Tell me about them."

"Their names are Kaz and Oliver. Among other normos, they do not stand out as either leaders or followers. They aren't cowards, but they aren't reflexively courageous. Kaz is self-absorbed and rather lazy, Oliver lacks confidence and submits to others too easily."

"How are they making names for themselves at Mighty Med? You describe nothingness."

"Despite their flaws they are both intelligent. Their interest in the comic books which finance Mighty operations has given them a deep and broad knowledge of superheros and villains, and when together, they can intuit responses to almost any situation involving our kind."

"Then they must be kept apart. Disrupt the more potentially dangerous of the two, while I decide my next move."

. . . . .

Oliver stepped from the sidewalk to the school walkway, and looked around. No one else was there, the western facade was not an inviting entrance. The steel doors needed painting, and the walkway was cracked and uneven. She had chosen the location well. Suddenly, three feet in front of him, the fabric of the universe tore open. A portal formed right before his eyes. That was almost me, he thought. Would I have survived being split open as a portal? She flew through and landed, the portal closing as if healing. She was in full normo mode, with one difference- the red streak in her hair was now green. It wasn't very noticeable, her porkpie hat mostly covered it, but he saw. Although they were on the west side of the school, her eyes shone with the glint of sunlight on the edge of a knife.

"Good, you know your place. You will do everything I tell you to, with no argument. Hesitation will be punished. Do you accept my terms?" Oliver thought- I have to do this. "You're hesitating." Skyler stepped closer and punched him, low in the abdomen, hard enough he was pushed back a foot. Oliver sank to his knees, doubled over in pain. "Hesitate again and I'll do worse."

Oliver nodded and struggled to his feet, trying not to show weakness. "You wanted this meeting, what do you want?"

"Annihilator wants to study the situation before deciding his next move. He wants an eye kept on you, so I'm going to continue here at school. We are going to be spending a lot of time together. Starting today, we are boyfriend and girlfriend." Oliver's jaw dropped. "I know you well enough not to trust you. I'm not giving you and Kaz time together to plan something. Today, we are getting tossed into detention. We don't have classes together this morning, so after second period, we hook up in the hallway and start making out. That will be at least a week long punishment. If that's not enough, we'll do it again next week. Now, walk me to homeroom, and make it look good." He took her hand and opened the door. They entered, both smiling, she nuzzling her cheek against his when anyone seemed to notice the couple. Arriving at her room, he tried to release her hand. "Walk me to my desk." He did, and there they kissed, briefly but romantically. As he left, Oliver heard students commenting about the pair. This is everything I've wanted, he thought. Skyler my girlfriend, handholding, kissing. Everything, in the worst way possible. My dream has become a nightmare. I have to cure her.

"So, you and Flippy Longstocking, huh?"

Oliver turned, it was Jordan, an about to pounce grin on her face. "You heard?"

"I saw. The lovey-dovey perp walk. So, how did it happen?"

"Uhh, well, yester- yesterday we were studying together, and, uhh, I just leaned over and kissed her, and she kissed back. It just happened."

"That was risky. You aren't much of a risk taker, what changed?"

"Nothing. I don't know why I did it. It just happened."

"Oliver!" Kaz called out from the other end of the hall, and began walking towards them.

"What did Kaz say when you told him?"

"I kind of haven't told him yet."

"Really?" Jordan's grin pounced. "This should be awkward."

"You're dating her? Now?" Kaz asked as he arrived.

"Ye- yes. We are boyfriend and girlfriend."

"This is not a good idea, Oliver."

"It's not an idea, it's a reality."

"No, I don't think you've thought this through."

"This isn't thoughts, it's emotions. Connie and I are in love."

"This can't be happening."

"Kaz, you just have to accept it. We have to get to class." Oliver left.

Kaz started walking. Jordan joined him. "You're more bothered than I expected. Why?"

"Sk- Connie, is a good person, but she's going through a few things right now. I don't think it's a good time for her to be starting a relationship. Jordan- I think we all need to give her some space, stand back from her. For her own good."


	2. Taking Sky

The two men stood in the lobby, waiting. They had expected Oliver two hours ago, he had neither shown nor contacted Horace. Conversation between him and the other man had been halting, they needed the boy to have any subject in common. Captain Galahad broke the latest silence. "How is it Experion escaped your custody?"

"He used his magnetic powers," Horace Diaz answered. "He pulled two metal-framed chairs from behind the guards escorting him to our holding cell and smashed those into their backs. They let go of him and he used his super speed to rejoin Skyler and the Annihilator." Diaz was in his usual white lab coat, the captain in his regulation uniform, dark grey trousers and shirt, black Ike jacket, tie, and shoes. His grey eyes neatly matched the shirt, his short blond hair in sharp contrast to the uniform. "You're late," Horace said as Oliver entered the room.

"I know, I'm sorry. I had detention after school." Oliver looked questioningly at the man with Horace.

"This is Captain Galahad, you met him yesterday."

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't really see you then, just your combat gear."

"That's quite understandable. I'd like your report on today's meeting with Skyler Storm."

"She said the Annihilator doesn't have any plan yet for what to do now, and told her to stick with her Connie identity until he does. He told her to keep an eye on me, she thinks if we have time to think about things together, we'll come up with some way to beat them. She got both of us thrown into detention for a week to keep me in school an extra hour each day, to limit my time here. She would have stayed with me longer but Experion came and told her the Annihilator wanted her, so I managed to come here. Oh, and she treated Experion like he was just a messenger between her and the Annihilator, not a partner in what they're doing."

Tha captain nodded. "A good report. This means we have access to the group's activities. Also, as she is keeping you from us, you are keeping her from them. We are advantaged by this. Stick to her, it can only help."

"Also," Horace added, "try to remind her of her goodness, her heroic actions and things she's done with you and Kaz. Try to find a crack in her evilness, so we can try to cure it. But for now, get to work or I'll dock your pay." Oliver nodded and left. "Captain, I know your men are guarding the hospital, is any more being done?"

"Yes, we've set up detectors here, and at the normo school. As you may know, Storm's ability to create portals in space is based largely on her power to bend the gravity-wave function. We can trace that. If she opens a portal, we'll know when and where, and be able to respond rapidly."

. . . . .

Oliver opened his locker and took out his lab coat. As he put it on, Kaz entered. "Oliver, are you out of your mind?" They hadn't been able to speak yesterday without Skyler being present, and she had promised to have Experion check Oliver's phone for messages, so Oliver hadn't risked any use of it.

"She's making me do it to keep us off-balance."

"Yeah, you do look lopsided. What do we do?"

"We look like we accept it. Keep everyone away from her, there's no telling what might set her off. Horace is trying to find a cure. We need to come up with some way to get her to take that."

"You mean like, overpower her? She's a supervillain, we don't stand a chance."

"We've done it before. We need some way to even the odds, maybe take her power down, at least temporarily. Then we could tackle her, and tie her up."

"There's no way... wait! Remember Experion? I mean, remember when Experion was kidnapping her for the Annihilator? She said she preferred coal, and you remembered..."

"Coal blocks her powers. If we get some coal, we could set a trap, and capture her. Wow- she was right about not letting us have time to come up with plans. You'll have to find some coal and set up something."

"I'll ask Gus at school tomorrow, I think that'll be right up his alley."

. . . . .

"Captain, a portal is forming at the west entrance to the high school," the private monitoring the detector reported.

"Let's get eyes on it," Captain Galahad ordered.

Connie flew through the portal, landing by him as it closed. She must have raided her room at Mighty Med, Oliver thought. She was wearing jeans and the red Philly Parkfest tee shirt he had bought her when they, with Kaz, Jordan, and Gus had gone to that free concert last month. Could that be a message from good Skyler, he wondered? He said, "these are for you," and handed her a small sprig of flowers, hoping evil Skyler would see it as a surrender. She took it without comment, setting it in her hair above her ear.

"Alright boyfriend," she said sarcastically, "let's get this started." They took each other's hand and entered the school. Oliver hoped this would work. One, two, three steps in.

"Now!" Oliver said. There was a rustling sound from above the couple and both were pummeled by what seemed hundreds of small plastic bags filled with something hard. Both fell to the floor, surrounded and partially covered by what had struck them. Kaz ran to them as they regained their feet.

"What is this?" Skyler demanded. "Some pathetic normo attempt to defeat me? As if anything you do could best me. You'll both pay for this."

"Not so fast, Skyler," Oliver said. "Look what this is."

"What? Coal? Why..." Skyler's expression changed form outrage to shock, and then fury. She thrust her hands towards Oliver. "Explode!" She yelled. Nothing happened.

"Coal temporarily blocks your powers," Kaz said.

"I don't need superpowers to defeat normos." She charged at Kaz, who pulled an aerosol can from his pocket and sprayed her face. Skyler cried out and closed her eyes. Oliver took a hypodermic syringe from his pocket and stuck her in the thigh, injecting a powerful sedative. She opened her eyes, her expression again shock. "What was that?"

"Just something to make you sleep," Oliver told her. Her eyes glazed over and she began to slump downwards. He grabbed her, easing her to the floor. "We're taking you to Mighty Med to cure you," he said, not sure she was conscious enough to hear. "What did you spray her with Kaz?"

"The cooking oil thing from my mom's kitchen. All I had to do was distract her. Come on, we need to get started."

"Did you get it?" Oliver asked.

"I stole it from the hospital last night, while Gus was getting the coal. I have it stashed outside."

"Give me a hand moving her." The two boys managed to carry her out of the school and over to where Kaz had left the wheeled, lidded trashcan. They staggered about and almost dropped her once, but managed to set her inside. "Get some of the coal, we can put it in with her in case she wakes up."

"Why me? You do it."

"Kaz- I am not leaving her side. I have to make this right."

"Oh, fine." Kaz went back into the school, returning with a double armful of bagged coal, dropping it into the can with Skyler. "Now, all we have to do is push this trashcan through the streets of downtown Philadelphia during morning rush hour traffic to a large public hospital, sneak it into that hospital and into a janitor's closet. Without anyone stopping us and asking if we have an unconscious teenage girl inside it."

"Yes, but I feel lucky today. Don't You?"


	3. Reading Sky

"Lookout!" Kaz shouted as he and Oliver burst into the hospital admissions foyer, pushing the wheeled trashcan up to the desk. "One superhero slash villain, ready for admission."

The receptionist's eyes widened behind her mask. Horace and the captain rushed to them. "What do you mean?" Horace asked.

"We've got Skyler in here," Oliver replied. "She's sedated and her powers are temporarily blocked."

"You captured Storm?" Captain Galahad asked, unbelievingly. "Without permission? The point was to use her to take out the whole group."

"Take out? That sounds like you mean destroy. As in kill. Skyler is a superhero. She's just ill. She meeds treatment, not destroying," Oliver angrily told the captain.

"It's done so there's no use arguing about it," Horace said, trying to defuse the confrontation. "Thoughtress is in town, she may be able to read Skyler's mind and tell us what we need to know."

Captain Galahad frowned, but agreed. "This could work out, but boys- I can't have you interfering with Mighty Military operations. If you go off again without approval, you may find yourselves in the Mighty Military stockade."

. . . . .

Skyler paced inside the forcefield, angrily kicking aside the bags of coal which covered the floor. Horace had adopted the boy's idea and filled the dais with those, so many that when she tried to pile them all on one end to clear a space at the other, in hope of restoring her powers, she weakened herself too much even to stand. Evenly spread, she had strength enough to walk, and curse all involved in her imprisonment. Which at this moment meant Oliver and Kaz, who were monitoring her condition. Oliver's ears burned, listening to her savage him in everything from appearance to kissing skills. He let it all wash over him, this was the Annihilator speaking, not her. Horace and the captain entered, along with another person. She was taller than either of the men, her hair icy blue. Her form-fitting costume was grey- glittering, undulating bands of different shades of grey. "This is Thoughtress," Horace said, "she's going to try to read Skyler's mind. Thoughts aren't like words, we'll need to interpret whatever she can get."

"If you think I'm going to help you in any way, you're even more pathetic than I knew. I belong to the Annihilator. I am his weapon. The moment I am free I will destroy you all." Galahad and Horace ignored her outburst, but Oliver was stung by her absolute conviction. Could she be lost to them forever?

"So," Horace asked Thoughtress, "what do you need to get started?"

"Nothing. I have already begun." The grey clad heroine approached the forcefield and raised her arms, pointing the palms of her hands at Skyler. "I sense many things, all a jumble. But this- a field. Buttressed by roads and houses. In the field, a small brick building. A secret way. Evil below. Also- music, music everywhere." Thoughtress lowered her arms. "That is all I can glean. That is all she has."

"Thank you," Horace said. "Please allow me to escort you out." He took her arm and they left the room. "So, that was all you saw of her thoughts. Did you see anything else? Anything of what the Annihilator did to her?"

"Yes. I saw the tendrils of his tamperings. I saw their limits. They reach further back than when it occurred, but are limited. I believe they can be defeated." They again said goodbye, and as she left, he returned to the others.

. . . . .

"A field, roads and houses, a building, music. This doesn't seem promising," the captain said.

"I know. Oliver, you've spent more time with her, does any of this make sense?" Horace asked.

"I can't think of anything. Those things don't really go together."

"That's true," Captain Galahad said. "There are too many disparate elements. We need to limit the variables. Let's try first and last. A field, and music. Does that bring anything to mind?"

"No, I can't think of any... wait- a couple months ago we went to a concert. It was in City Park. The park is in the city, so it's surrounded by roads. There are buildings in the park, an office, storage sheds, restrooms. I think they're all brick."

"I'll send a technical team to examine all structures in the park." The captain left to make it so. Skyler had been listening, she resumed yelling and cursing. "You'll never find the Annihilator. He'll find you though. You'll pay for this. You'll all pay."

"That's enough, Skyler," Horace ordered. "If you don't stop I'll shrink and freeze you, and store you next to Brain Matter." She became quiet. "Boys, we need to discuss a few things, but not here. Guards!" Two security guards teleported in. "Allow no one in here except me, Oliver, Kaz, and Captain Galahad." The three went to Horace's office. "I have an idea for how to cure Skyler," the older man told the boys. "The Annihilator implanted villainy in her mind like a memory. The dememorizer ray may be able to to make her simply forget all thoughts of being evil."

Could that be it, Oliver thought? She can just forget wanting to do bad things? It can't be that easy.

"So she just loses her memories of having turned bad?" Kaz asked.

"Pretty much," Horace replied. "Exactly how many memories will have to be worked out, I'll start on that now. You two can get back to doing your regular rounds."


	4. Remembering Sky

The restroom door opened and Experion stepped out of the building. The squad had been on stakeout duty for several hours waiting for one of them to show, without benefit of any advanced survailence technology. With his magnetic powers, Experion would have noticed any electronic device usage, they could not take such a risk. The squad rushed forward, the four men with non-lethal weapons firing those. Four streams of plasticised aluminum foam struck him, smothering his body in a quickly solidifying mass of metal sponge. He toppled over, unable to balance or catch himself.

Captain Galahad and the squad's sargeant approached, their laser rifles aimed at the uncertainly secured prisoner. The two men inspected the trapped villain, rolling him over to be sure he was fully contained. "Prisoner secured, sir," the sargeant reported. Galahad nodded. Experion was silent, his face a mix of anger and fear.

"Alright Sargeant, call for pickup. You and Parker remain with him. After he's been removed, take up positions guarding this entrance. The rest of the squad will accompany me into the lair. If Annihilator's there, we will attempt capture. If that's not possible, termination. If he isn't present, we will search for evidence of his location."

"Yes, sir. Good luck, sir."

The captain entered the building with his three soldiers, moving to the wall the tech team had identified, and tapped out the sequence they had decoded. The four men entered the elevator car which automatically decended. The door opened and they exited as two groups of two, moving fast, keeping low. The lair was quickly determined to be unoccupied, and a search for intelligence began. Galahad tapped his communicator, built into his fatigues, and on the surface the sargeant's communicator silently vibrated. He tapped, establishing the connection, and kept silent, not knowing the situation on the other end. "Dry hole, sargeant. Keep aware, the Annihilator is closer to you than us."

"Yes sir. Pickup complete, nothing to report."

. . . . .

"Boys, I just spoke with Captain Galahad. There's still no sign of the Annihilator, he must have seen the assault on his lair and skidaddled."

Kaz and Oliver clearly didn't know that term, but understood it's meaning in context. "So he's just out there somewhere," Oliver said, "knowing Experion is back in prison, and that Skyler is his only chance for assistance? She has to be made not evil or he'll try to take her again."

"Yes," Horace said, "and I believe we're ready to do that. After consulting with Thoughtress I think I've determined the correct setting for the Dememorizor ray."

Oliver could barely contain himself. Skyler, real Skyler, back again. "When can we do this?"

"The orderlies are setting up the equipment now. Boys, I have to say this was a very difficult problem. The Annihilator was rushed in what he did, but he was thorough. He reached well into her mind. I'm going to have to remove more memories than I'd like, but I have to be sure all the evilness is expunged."

"So you mean what," Kaz asked, "a week, two weeks?"

Oliver looked Horace in the eye. "A month? Two months?"

"I'll have to erase sixteen months. It's the only way to be sure."

Sixteen. Oliver's heart crashed to his feet, continued down into the earth. Every word. Every laugh. Just last week they had been studying together, she butting her shoulder into his, innocently but flirtatiously. Gone. He noticed Kaz, looking as stricken as he must also. This can't be about us, Oliver thought. This is Skyler's life. "Let's do this," he said.

. . . . .

"Your plans will fail," evil Skyler said. They were in Treatment Room B, Skyler still imprisoned by the forcefield. Present were Horace, Oliver, Kaz, Captain Galahad, and two security guards. The Dememorizer also was there, looking to Oliver dangerously aggressive.

"I can't do this through the forcefield. Guards, take her as soon as I shut it down," Horace said.

She attempted to fight them but the coal still affected her powers. "Hold her steady," Horace said, and aimed the Dememorizer. He double-checked the settings and started the device. A bright pink ray emanated from the focusing barrel and lit up Skyler's head. She ceased struggling as her immediate memories were erased. The guards had to hold her up as the treatment continued, she losing consciousness as her memories faded away.

"Six months gone," Kaz reported, studying a display on the machine. "Seven." Oliver watched, noting how peaceful she looked. And that the green streak in her hair had faded away. Kaz called out each month-milestone as her red streak returned. He ended with sixteen, "...and two weeks," he added.

Horace shut down the machine. "Bring her here," he said to the guards, "sit her down on that chair." He took a light pen out of his pocket and checked both her eyes. "Everything seems fine, we'll have to wait for her to wake up."

Skyler began to stir, and opened her eyes. She looked around, a confused look on her face. She jumped to her feet and took a fighting stance. "Who are you people and where am I?"

"You are in Mighty Med. I am Doctor Horace Diaz, chief administrator of the hospital. This is Captain Galahad of Mighty Military, and these are Oliver and Kaz, two members of my staff."

"Mighty Med? Why am I here? I was at home, eating dinner. I'm on Earth?"

"I know you must be confused, your memory has been affected by your medical treatment."

"Medical treat... no, I'm fine. What are you talking about?" Her voice now had an angry tone.

"Please remain calm. You have no memory of it, but you have been a patient here for over over twelve months. You were ambushed by the Annihilator, who stole your superpowers."

"No, you're wrong. I'm fine. Why are you lying to me? Wait- those boys. They can't be staff. They're- they're normos. I demand to know what you're up to."

"They are normos, and they are on staff here." Horace carefully explained what had happened to Skyler and she accepted the truth of it. Captain Galahad was persuaded of her cure and left to continue the search for the Annihilator, who had vanished without a trace.

"So I just go home now?" Skyler asked.

"No, I'm not releasing you just yet. We need to be sure you're fully back to normal, well, super-normal. It will be a week or two."

. . . . .

Skyler threw her head back, and tried to press together her shoulder blades. She had never sat or watched a monitor for so long. The two normos, who it seemed worked as a team here, had put together every video file involving her from her time at the hospital, so she could be informed of what she could not remember. She had viewed almost nine months of it when there was a knock on her door. "Come in."

"Hi, Skyler," Oliver said, but then stopped short. "I mean hello Mz Storm, I'm here to check your vitals again."

"You don't have to be like that. I know we were- are friends."

"That's nice of you to say, but it isn't really so. I'm a stranger to you."

"I'm not to you, and I know you were responsible for recovering my powers from the Annihilator. You don't even have superpowers and you made a frontal assault on his lair."

Oliver frowned. That hadn't worked out at all the way he hoped. "I wasn't alone, Kaz was with me."

"True, you make a good team, but you tend to take the first step." He made no response. "I've been here four days- that I can remember, and I'm already going crazy. How did I put up with it for a year?"

"You didn't. You were going crazy, Kaz suggested you come to our school carnival for a change. It didn't go perfectly but you liked it and decided to go to school as a normo student. Maybe you should come back until Horace clears you for release."

"I was going to ask- how did that work? Did everyone know about me?"

"They knew you, but they didn't know you." She looked confused. "You wore normal clothes and had a secret identity as a normo."

"A secret identity? And I made that work?"

"Pretty much; I mean, there were awkward moments, but it's high school. Everyone has those."

"I've seen the videos, I liked the clothing, but who was I there?"

"You were Connie Valentine. Your family was in the greeting card industry, mainly Valentine's Day cards. Horace came to school a couple of times as your father."

"Wow. Was I popular? Did I- did I have a boyfriend? I mean, between saving the Earth and schoolwork at home, I- I've never even kissed a boy. Romantically, I mean."

"You weren't super-popular, but that goes with the whole secret identity thing. And no, you weren't- uhh, weren't dating anyone."

"You're hiding something from me. Oliver- were we dating?"

"No." Oh goodie, he thought. She looks relieved. If she comes back to school, everyone will think different. I have to tell her. "And yes." She stared at him, clearly waiting for an explanation. "The Annihilator ordered evil Sky to keep an eye on me, she thought pretending we were a couple would be good cover for that."

"So we..."

"No, not we. That wasn't you. That was evil Sky, and it wasn't real. If you haven't yet kissed a boy, you still haven't."

"But everyone will think..."

"It's high school. When they see us being just friends, they'll move on to something else."

. . . . .

"We'll all miss you Skyler," Horace said. "You're welcome to visit anytime you want." He hugged his now former patient and pretend daughter, and she moved on to Kaz.

"I wish I could remember our arguments, the videos I've seen make them look like fun."

"They were, you and I make for good verbal sparring partners. Get home safe." They hugged, a bit awkwardly, and she paused for a breath before going to Oliver.

"I'm sorry I'm not staying," she told him. "I just need to go home, and try to understand what happened."

"You don't have to apologize, going home makes a lot of sense. It was wonderful getting to know you for a year, and wonderful getting to know you for a week, well, six days." He put his arms around her when she initiated a hug.

"I know you wanted me to stay, but I think I need to go home. I think I'll be back, I have unfinished business here."

"Annihilator. There's still no sign of him. Put him out your mind, you need to live your own life."

"I can't. I'm Skyler Storm. I fight to win. My fight with him isn't over." Their hug ended, they pulled apart, but not so far as to be completely separated. "You aren't telling me, but we were something more than friends. I can see that in the videos. I will be back. There are too many reasons to come back to not do that." Oliver nodded, she leaned toward him. She kissed him, sweetly, on the lips. "Now we both remember," she whispered. And then she was gone. Oliver could only wonder when he would see her again.

He looked to Kaz. "School tomorrow, let's go home."


End file.
